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The Show Must Go On… Eventually

By: Heidi Hopf

Is anyone else missing live music yet? I know I sure am.

Lonely Drum – Photo by: Heidi Hopf

Our local music scene impacts the people of our city in a myriad of ways that reach from economical to personal entertainment. Many of us feel the pressure of its loss this past month in some form or another.

For our local musicians, the closure of venues has taken the obvious financial toll, but it has also taken away the chance to do something they love. I think we can all admit that we creative types tend to take things on a tad harder from time to time, so how are they all coping I wondered? What are they doing with all of this time off? I contacted a few of our local musicians and asked them to share with us what they are doing to stay positive and busy until this all blows over.

Paul Agriesti
“What I miss most while being in isolation is hanging out with friends and creating. There is something about that magical human connection that is felt through playing and listening to music together that can’t be duplicated unless we’re all in the same room feeding off each other’s energy. It truly is a transcendental experience. Spiritual, joyful.”

Cody James Wood
“I don’t know about others, but basically for me, I’m just trying to weather the storm. Trying to practice and write. Losing musical hero’s during this time has been tough. So paying homage to them through live streams and posting videos of covers. That’s about the best anyone can really do during these times.”

Tyler Wilson
“It’s a good opportunity to put the instrument down for a while, press play, and enjoy what made you want to play in the first place.”

Mitch Szitas
“To me, band practice was also friend time. The guys in Hotfix are my best buds so not only have I been missing the music I get to make with those guys, but I also just miss my friends. It’s the social gatherings, preparing for shows, and jamming that I miss the most.”

George Ouellette
“I’ve been diving deep into my own songwriting and recording. So it’s actually nice to have all this pressure-free time to work on my own stuff.”

Fretboard – Photo by: Heidi Hopf

Chris Slack
“The hardest part is that you can’t really jam so I haven’t played much bass, but it has led to more time with my acoustic so I’ve been able to grow there.”

Aram Humpartzoomian
“Musicians have always embraced and recognized the side effects of having time off. It provides the opportunity to introspect and to “hone one’s craft.”
I look forward to the day when there is a resurgence, a rekindled appreciation for the music scene including the artists that craft it, the venues that host it, and all the people that enjoy it.
And, of course, when PARDI GRAS can form (like Voltron) once again.”

It brings me a bit of joy knowing that the bands I love are still hard at work perfecting their art and gearing up to get back on the scene. Although we have been fortunate to have had social media live streams from a number of our musicians, nothing beats the sensation of the feeling only live music can provide. Before we know it we will all be packed in tiny rooms once again pretending to hear what the person next to us said with a grin and a nod, standing too close to sweaty strangers, having drinks spilled on our new shoes while we dance our hearts out, and we will love and cherish every minute of it!